Joan Osborne - Trouble and Strife

4.2

Rating

4.2/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Very good, versatile album
Great songs and lyrics
Nice atmospheres

Flyctory.com Cons

Songs are partially catching on second sight

One of Us – what an amazing song! It is hard to believe that you are not too wrong to call the women behind that song a One Hit Wonder, though. Despite she is releasing her eleventh album on 25th September 2020, she could never even somehow connect to the success of her biggest song. The more, I was curious how her music sounds nowadays. Her album is called Trouble and Strife.

Joan Osborne – About The Artist

Joan Elizabeth Osborne was born on 8th July 1962 in Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville. She moved to New York in the 1980’s where she for fun sang at an open mic night. Other musicians have been that amazed by her that she has been motivated to do it more regularly, majorly blues at the beginning. After she founded her own band, she became popular in the New York club scene and got a record deal in 1991. Nonetheless, it took her until 1995 to release her first record. Her debut single was already One of Us, which topped the charts in Australia and Canada. It was, however, her only single which ever made it to the Top 10 of any major market.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G5XzQN_SDM

The same applies to her album career. Relish, the debut album, was boosted by the success in the singles charts and was Top 10 in the USA, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the 2000’s she released numerous albums, but the 19th spot in the US Indie Charts for the 2002 How Sweet It Is was the most notable chart placement thereafter. In 2014, she was part of the album Trigger Hippy of the same-named rock band. Trouble and Strife is already Osbourne’s eleventh album.

Joan Osborne – Trouble and Strife – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 44 minutes.

1. Take It Any Way I Can Get It

The album starts with soulful rock track. The strong melody and gospel-alike interaction with the backing vocals really turn the song to a great beginning of the album. Joan Osborne still got power, like it!

2. What’s That You Say

In contrast to the very guitar-driven first song, What’s That You Say is a soul song, which is rather touching elements like the blues. The song is also developing quite a strong rhythm. Nice

3. Hands Off

Hands Off rather connects to Take It Any Way I Can Get It. I like the way Osborne is presenting her stories in her songs – even though I feel that the first track of Trouble and Strife touched me more.

4. Never Get Tired (Of Loving You)

Listening to this song, I think of so many artists, which accompanied me during my first musical steps in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. You would laugh if I listed them – because all of them are just a bit like Never Get Tired (Of Loving You). Still, this song could have been a cool radio track during these times. I simply love that music.

5. Trouble and Strife

Trouble and Strife is like driving on the left lane on an empty German autobahn at night. Nice speed, nice groove, nice sound. It’s Rock’n’Roll. Definitely one of my favorite songs of the album.

6. Whole Wide World

The C-Word? Joan Osborne touches a lot of different musical genres… and I would put the “country music” sticker on the edge of the music video here. Neither bluegrass nor modern country – but especially the way the guitars support her song reminds me a lot of my favorite type of music.

7. Meat & Potatoes

Meat & Potatoes is driven by the groove, strong bass play. Even though I would not list the song as one of my favorites of the album, it definitely makes me move. The song has got a nice touch, no doubt.

8. Boy Dontcha Know

Boy Dontcha Know is having a stronger melody again. She’d rather be a boy, dontcha know?, Osborne is asking here. A bit of a mystical touch… Definitely cool music again.

9. That Was A Lie

That Was A Lie is one of three songs released before the album. Again, the song feels like a great song some decades back in time. Now I dare to say that it reminds me of Blondie a bit. The chorus is very catching. Nice!

10. Panama

The last stage of this ten stage musical travel takes us to Panama. After the previous tracks felt very cozy and you felt very close to Joan Osborne’s style, Panama is surprising. Very dark, a very different track, but also very strong in rhythm.

Joan Osborne – Trouble and Strife – Spotify

Here is the Spotify widget to the album:

Joan Osborne – Trouble and Strife – My View

Trouble and Strife – Joan Osborne definitely shows her great potential and variety in ten tracks. I listened to the album multiple times and enjoyed it more and more. It may be harder to love these ten songs at first sight, though. There are some very different characters in this set of ten tracks, no doubt (not just Panama). I nevertheless feel that the applause, which has been added to the end of the final song is well deserved. Sometimes maybe a bit tough, but overall a good one!